


escape to the great sunshine

by cloutier, orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Collab, Flowers, Gay Disasters, M/M, They're in love but both like...emotionally constipated I guess so!!!, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloutier/pseuds/cloutier, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dimitri still hasn't spoken, he's just bright red and standing awkwardly with the flowers in his hand. At this rate, nothing is going to get done, so he steps towards Dimitri."Those flowers sure are pretty, aren't they? Who's the special someone you're giving those to?""You."
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Underground Lord

**Author's Note:**

> HI so me and clout wrote this like..a couple months ago and i never got to finishing it but one of my followers on twitter is epic and inspired me to finish it SO...here it is. thank you, clout, for collabing with me on this! i love u. anyways please enjoy rarepair shippers i love these boys even if theyre a bit (hypothetically) stoopeed

Head in his hands and work scattered around his desk, Yuri is stumped and he doesn’t know how to fix it. He’s distracted, and distractions only lead to a lack of  _ focus.  _ He’s tried - he’s  _ really  _ tried. He’s closed the door - even  _ if _ there’s surely no one on the other side - shut the blinds, and closed the window. Cleared his desk of any other potential distractions and yet he’s  _ still _ struggling to do a bit of paperwork. The Lord of the Underworld... incapable of signing a few...what were they again? Yuri doesn’t know. What he  _ does know,  _ though, is that there is something keeping him from reading the fine print of each paper, and it is killing him.

He gives up. He formally says fuck you to whatever Hapi has dropped in front of him and slams his head onto the desk in irritation. Whatever, he’s the goddamn  _ Lord of the Underworld _ , he doesn’t need a goddamn deadline to sign papers! The sender can wait for a better time, when he’s not so distracted.

When the door violently swings open, he doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even lift his head. He’s far too out of it to pay attention to the intrusion, or be annoyed by it - he’ll deal with the inconvenience later. For now, he needs some alone time.

“Go away.”

Whoever has entered pauses. Perhaps they’re considering doing as he says. Unfortunately  _ they don’t,  _ and of all people it’s Constance. He loves her, truly—but for right now he would like to be alone with his thoughts, or lack thereof. 

“Yuri-bird!” she squawks, “don’t be uncordial! I’ve come with a present, delivered straight from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus!”

Faerghus? No way. He gets up, eyebrows furrowing when she places the item on his desk.

It’s...a stuffed wolf. There’s a letter attached to it as well, and he can see the horrid handwriting from where he’s sitting.

Ah, Dimitri -  _ his highness _ . 

“Perhaps the King has a liking towards you,” she takes a second to think it over before she squeals and jumps up and down, clapping in excitement. Constance has  _ always  _ been a romantic. It’s sickening. “Oh, Yuri bird, this is  _ perfect!  _ I knew there was a connection between the two of you! How gentlemanly of him to send you such a beautiful gift! Perhaps he’s planning to court you! Do you think he’d visit? Oh this is  _ just  _ like one of my no—”

“Enough!” Yuri shouts with a bright red face, “ _ This?, _ ” he says, empathising with waves of his hands,  __ ''Is unnecessary! Dimitri,  _ King Dimitri,  _ is not in love with me, so you can put your weird fantasies to rest. Now, will you please take your leave? I’ve got stacks of papers to fill out and with all this ruckus  _ I cannot concentrate. _ ” 

Constance humphs, but leaves. She’ll get over it, he’s sure. Yuri doesn’t have time for this ridiculous nonsense. There’s no need to get his hopes up for them to only get crushed beneath his feet. Yuri’s tried love before, it’s not his thing. The gesture is sweet, no doubt about it, but it's just a friend reaching out! They write letters back and forth all the time, what’s one more? He tears the letter from the plush’s collar, unfolding the paper to read what it says.

“ _ My dearest Yuri,” _

_ Dearest?  _

_ “As I was strolling the streets one evening, I came across this wolf. Instantly, it brought back memories of our academy days. As it felt like an ode to our academy days, I took it upon myself to purchase this and send it your way. Remember when you’d convince me to sit alongside you and view the stars? I miss those times, and in a way I’m beginning to miss your company as well. On the loneliest of nights, I wish you were by my side - telling one of your wretched jokes. Perhaps you could visit the kingdom a moon where you aren’t preoccupied with your duties as a lord. I myself plan to visit the monastery in hopes to see you again. Perhaps we could meet at the goddess tower. Anyways, I hope you like the parcel. I await your letter in response. _

_ Forever yours—” _

_ Forever yours? _

_ “Dimitri.” _

With a small heart beside his name.

This guy  _ can’t be fucking serious.  _

Yuri’s head is back on the desk, but this time he is internally screaming.

Dimitri, King Dimitri,  _ The Boar Prince,  _ Leader of the Blue Lions, is in love with  _ him.  _ The, in Felix’s words, Sewer Goblin. 

Yuri calls for Constance—and he doesn’t even realize he’s fondly staring at the wolf until Constance comes in swooning, noting his “starry eyed gaze”. He groans. Perhaps this was a bad idea. Well, too late to turn back now. 

“So...perhaps you were right about Dimitri’s love for me,” Yuri sighs, picking at the wolf’s faux fur. 

Constance  _ squeals.  _

“Pipe down, pipe down,” Yuri whines, face contorting in annoyance, “Listen, this is...embarrassing and love is  _ gross  _ but I don’t know what to do! You’re the love expert here, what do you think I should do?  _ Please  _ help me.”

Constance pulls a chair in front of his desk. He looks up at her when she grabs his hands. There’s an odd mix of sterness and determination in her eyes, like she was the one confessing her love to Yuri.

“Yuri, I have waited years for you to finally find someone to settle down with! Do not risk the chance of losing the King! Pursue him!”

Yuri grimaces.  _ Pursue him?  _ What if he’s got it all wrong, though? Then he’s a fool. A fool who took a shot at courting a  _ king  _ of all people. Yuri hates looking stupid, and he won’t. 

“What if I have,” he clears his throat, “misconstrued what he has said.”

Constance’s eyes lid in annoyance. He hates that look, it makes him feel insecure. He avoids eye contact, hiding his face with one hand in embarrassment. He can hear the huff paired with an eye roll, and when he looks back up her arms are crossed. 

“Don’t be a fool, Yuri. Even if you think he doesn’t love you, you love him! And that’s enough for it to be worthy of pursuing.”

In love with him? How does  _ she  _ know that? 

“It’s obvious. You’ve been looking at him like he holds the world in his hands  _ for years.  _ If you truly believe you aren’t in love with him, then you’re oblivious as all hell-pardon my language.” Oh. He said that out loud. 

Could Constance be  _ right  _ for a change? He does have this fluttering feeling when Dimitri is around. He likes staring at him, and when they were younger he’d prefer to spend his time in his presence. Could that truly be love? Could it not be infatuation? He thinks it over, thinks about spending his life with Dimitri. Sharing a bed, holding each other through hardships, being by the other’s side no matter what, giving their hearts bare to the other. His face heats up. It seems  _ so nice,  _ especially to have that with Dimitri. He  _ is  _ in love. Fuck. 

“Just pursue him, Yuri. What do you have to lose?” she says, nothing but warmth in her voice. His mouth dries, and he holds onto his wolf a bit harder than necessary.

She’s right. He’s in love with Dimitri, and his intuition tells him that Dimitri is in love with him—the letter had to have meant something, right?  _ It better.  _ If Dimitri shares no feelings, he’ll slit his throat for convincing him otherwise. He wouldn’t stand a chance, granted, but maybe his death would alleviate whatever pain came alongside the embarrassment. 

At that moment, Yuri decided he was going to court his pen pal.

♡｡ﾟ.(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ♡ °・

Of all the people Yuri could have bumped into in the Greenhouse, it  _ had  _ to be Dimitri. 

Yuri can’t tell if this is a coincidence or just the Goddess forsaking him - as she does, but whatever it is, he doesn’t appreciate it. Dimitri stands with a corrected posture compared to the three years prior, shifting through flowers. His back is turned to Yuri, and he can hear the soft hums that come with Dimitri making a decision while he searches through the choices of flowers. He almost turns around and avoids the situation completely, but Yuri, being the daredevil he is, confronts him instead. 

"Funny seeing you here of all people. Say, what has you searching for flowers at such a late part of the evening? I thought our visit wasn’t scheduled until midday tomorrow?" 

Yuri watches Dimitri turn to face him, looking as though he’d been caught stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar. He doesn’t have any cookies, though, just a very diverse bouquet _. _ There’s a lot too, and it makes him wonder how long he’s been here. Though he’s happy to see the King after the few years that have passed, he’s still annoyed that they both came up with the  _ same  _ idea.

"Oh come on, friend,” he says, putting his head in his hands, “you couldn't have chosen a different idea? I guess you're planning on courting someone as well. I must say, King Dimitri, with all due respect of course - it's not nice to steal other's ideas. Rather sneaky, in fact."

Dimitri still hasn't spoken, he's just bright red and standing awkwardly with the flowers in his hand. At this rate, nothing is going to get done, so he steps towards Dimitri.

"Those flowers sure are pretty, aren't they? Who's the special someone you're giving those to?" 

"You."

He's taken aback for a moment, definitely, but he remembers his suaveness for a second to take control of the situation.

"Really? For me? While I'm not surprised that you're courting _me_ of all people, I have to say I'm rather shocked that _you,_ of all people, are courting _me_." Dimitri's red. Good. Can't have him being the only one flustered. Then, there's a pause.

"Because  _ I  _ was going to court  _ you. _ "

He shoves the few flowers he’s picked up towards him out of embarrassment. Damn, he really is bad at this. Dimitri takes them with a smile, still quiet. Moments pass - minutes, hours, maybe  _ years  _ before they speak at the same time. 

"I'm in love with you." 

Yuri's mouth gapes.

"Hey, This was supposed to be for you, not me.  _ I  _ was supposed to be the one spoiling  _ you. _ " 

It’s no surprise, of course. He’s already come to that conclusion. It’s still a shock, though, because he’s  _ still  _ Dimitri and he’s  _ still  _ just Yuri. He has a moment of gay panic, remembering all the times Dimitri would keep him company. Offer tea and sweets and talk about whatever troubled them that night. Those nights they’d sit under the stars, hands inching far too close to be platonic. 

His return from isolation, Yuri insisting on being by his side. The initial denial before acceptance. 

Maybe those little moments lead to where they are now. 

In the present, Dimitri ignores whatever snarky comment Yuri let out and grabs his hand with a grip that could snap his wrist in half. He wants to tell him to let off, that it  _ hurts,  _ but he can’t speak. Just stare in awe. 

"I love you, Yuri. I've loved you for a while. I,” he pauses, taking a moment to carefully decide on his next choice of words, “I hadn’t realized it at first, but it’s obvious to me now. This might be foolish but...please accept this ring, as I wish to wed you in the near future.” Then he’s pulling out a ring from his pocket, face red as the tomatoes that grow in this very garden and looking at the ground. Yuri stares at it for a while. It’s beautiful. 

Dimitri, his very own Dimitri, is beaming like a dope _._ Goddess, he can’t wait until he can wake up to see that every morning. Words are useless, so he nods through teary eyes and slips the ring onto his finger.

“I guess it’s only fair you accept my courting as well.”

Dimitri’s laughing - let’s him slide the ring onto his finger before knocking the wind out of him as he picks him up and spins him in a circle. He screams in his grasp, ignoring the nausea threatening to climb up his throat by slotting his head into the crook of his neck. When Dimitri sets him down, Yuri’s dizzy and flushed - but Dimitri takes the liberty to tuck a stray hair behind his ear. He thanks Constance for providing the courage to court this big sap of a man.

He leans into Dimitri’s, putting his hand over the one on his cheek. "You're insatiable." 

“You sound like Felix.” 

Yuri rolls his eyes with a snort, pressing the bouquet and relishing in the scent. He’s always loved the scent of flowers. He looks up at his love with a smile. “Would it be odd to say he’s rubbing off on me, even if I haven’t spoken to him in ages?” 

Dimitri returns the smile with one of his own, shaking his head. He steps forward to wrap his arms around him, in sync with Dimitri. He closes his eyes, soaking up the other’s warmth. When he opens his eyes, the room is decorated in beautiful hues. The setting sun is reflecting the flowers surrounding them, and it’s beautiful. Just like Dimitri. 

He feels his lover lean down and bury his nose into his shoulder, and it sends shivers up his spine. 

Yuri could get used to this.


	2. Savior King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain snickered, springing out of his seat and winking, “It’s all a game, Dimitri, you’ll get the hang of it eventually! Guys like Yuri love the chase!” Dimitri began to shake his head, his pained expression and regret fortunately masked by his hands. Perhaps Sylvain was correct about Dimitri’s heart being feeble, but that doesn’t make him right about everything.

Dimitri’s gaze wandered amongst the steel, his eye careful not to miss the intricate markings and the gentle curve of a blade forged by Zoltan. So far, he’d spent an awkward amount of time merely staring at each stand’s metalwares, as if the swords he was searching for would just pop out of thin air.

“Come boar, we won’t find any in this one.” Felix grumbled, walking away but making sure to slow for the King lugging behind him. For a long time Felix had treated Dimitri cruelly for reasons he now understood, Dimitri did not fault him for that. He believed he required a rough hand like Felix’s, among many others, to wrench him from the dark. It was the small gestures that Dimitri appreciated—they were all healing after all.

They both figured that a lot of the steel would be lacking even though the war was over, especially powerful blades like those molded from Zoltan’s hands. Perhaps this was an excuse to be able to go out and get some fresh air with his personal advisor, to discard their royal duties for an hour and pretend to be the young boys they once were before being marred from the fires of battle.

Considering that the only hour of free time that they had to themselves dwelled in the evening, the streets were dim and many stalls were beginning to pack up their wares. Felix crossed his arms, “Another time, boar. I doubt we’ll find anything useful.”

Dimitri nodded, turning away from the ironsmith to follow his advisor, unable to stop his eye from wandering across the other stalls. Shops selling vividly dyed fabrics and beads that he recognized as Brigid imports, another boasting magic tomes and historic antiques from other realms that Dimitri found bogus, and a smaller booth with delicate merchandise like hairpins and quilts and—

“Hold, Felix.” The king’s advisor scoffed at the request, though he heeded it anyway. Glancing over his shoulder, he spied Dimitri bending a bit to squint at the gear being sold by the market’s infamous doll maker. He’d heard of their reputation from Bernadetta, who loved their handcrafted armored bears most of all.

Felix, amused, chucked, “What could you possibly want here, boar?” He sauntered over as if Dimitri were playing a trick on him until he saw the sparkles in his owlish blue eye, staring down in a trance at a violet wolf plushie. He blinked wide, brain processing it all, “...Ah. Right. That Sewer Goblin.”

At the mention of the name, Dimitri tensed up but his hands remained gentle around the wolf cushion. “Sewer Goblin...Oh!  _ Yu—Yuri _ ? Erm, what about him, Felix?” His voice quivered and Felix furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why he even bothered to skirt around the topic. It’s like Dimitri wasn’t aware of why he’d appointed Felix as his advisor—he knew his king best after all, ever since they were boys.

Knowing damn well that Dimitri wouldn’t be able to work up any semblance of courage on his own, Felix tossed a bag of coin toward the seller who yelped out of surprise, “Oh no, sir, this is way too much! All of my goods are on the house for His Majesty—” To which Felix pointed his nose away, cutting her off, “Just take it. A friend of mine particularly loves your stall so use the money to craft more armored bears.”

Overwhelmed and unable to insist otherwise, the seller blinked in shock as Felix’s nails dug into the King’s arm and dragged him away, the wolf plushie still gentle in his grasp. The blonde stammered, “Felix, what are you doing? And the bears, I—” Felix wasn’t sure if the sudden burning blooming on his nose and cheeks were due to the evening breeze but he refused to believe otherwise.

“You have to tell Yuri. I’m so tired of this cat and mouse game,” Felix grumbled, and Dimitri was silent, neither refusing or agreeing. For a moment, the two shared a drained look for different reasons and Dimitri’s gaze dropped, looking way too timid and frail for a King, “...I can’t imagine he’d share the same sentiments as I do for him.”

Felix scoffed, “And what if he does? You’ll just let him slip away?” At the thought of losing Yuri, Dimitri stiffened, back straightening and eyebrows furrowing. He now had a goal, a means to an end to achieve. “Send him a letter, boar. Start there.”

And for once, Dimitri listened to his advisor’s words. Once he arrived in his quarters he barely even thought of stripping off his furs, instead taking a seat at his desk and reaching for a fountain pen. He took a breath in and began, “ _ My dearest Yuri…” _

—

The minute that the door swings open, Dimitri wonders if he just made a terrible mistake.

Sauntering inside comes a certain Margrave, his arms swung behind his head with an all-knowing grin lifting his mouth. Dimitri can already feel the shame welling up inside of him as he opts to set down his pen and push away the tariff requests for today—he was going to need all the energy in his body in order to survive his personal meeting with Sylvain.

“Looking for a little romance advice, are you, Dimitri? Don’t worry, you’re meeting with the master here!” 

Somehow, this conversation feels all too familiar to Dimitri. Him, inexperienced with love, and Sylvain, coaxing him into terrible ideas.

Dimitri heaved a sigh, watching Sylvain make himself at home on the comfiest lounge chair he had in his office. Sylvain kicked his legs up on the coffee table and he wiggled his eyebrows, egging Dimitri on for the details that he craved so much.

“Erm, well, I suppose it  _ would _ aid you to know who I, ah, I have my eyes set on. They are, well, you’d remember them from our days in Garreg Mach I’d wager, though now that I think of it, they didn’t spend much time around—” There was already a furious burning spreading upon Dimitri’s cheeks and he found himself unable to meet Sylvain’s awaiting eyes as he attempted to explain who the person in question was.

Though, ever the “master of love” as he calls himself, Sylvain almost jumped out of his seat in excitement, “Say no more, Dimitri! I literally can’t stand us dancing around the topic, so I’ll say it for you since I know your feeble little heart might break at the very mention of it—” Dimitri frowned and opened his mouth to argue but was silenced by the very name he was dreading to hear, “Who other than the lovely Yuri!”

_ Perhaps Sylvain was correct about one thing _ , Dimitri thought, as his face fell into his palms,  _ my chest feels like it’s about to implode. _

Sylvain snickered, springing out of his seat and winking, “It’s all a game, Dimitri, you’ll get the hang of it eventually! Guys like Yuri  _ love _ the chase!” Dimitri began to shake his head, his pained expression and regret fortunately masked by his hands.  _ Perhaps Sylvain was correct about Dimitri’s heart being feeble, but that doesn’t make him right about everything. _

Dimitri coughed, feeling a sourness form in his mouth due to Sylvain’s suggestion, ''That doesn’t seem healthy—” However, the Margrave ignored him and mumbled on, “Reel him in nice and easy and when he least expects it,  _ that’s _ when you pounce! See! Easy, isn’t it?” 

Feeling his head begin to sway, Dimitri refused to blame the sudden headache stirring on his old friend. He looked away, rubbing his temple to ease the sharp pangs of pain, “You know what...Let’s continue this meeting another day. I fear I’ve worked myself to the bone once again with all these documents.”

Sylvain’s eyes blew wide and he gazed at the mess of parchment scattering his King’s desk, the childish memories of their days back in the academy beginning to fade away. They had duties to attend to and land to oversee and people who were counting on them, even the Gautier playboy could recognize that much.

Catching onto the tension in the air, Sylvain caught sight of a violet wolf sitting behind Dimitri’s ink bottle, as if he purposefully planted it to hide from his eyes. Dimitri jerked out of his seat when Sylvain picked it up and studied it, eyebrows furrowing, “Sylvain! What are…”

He reached out to steal the plush back but Sylvain must not have been slacking on his training for he’d stepped away rather quickly. His body froze as Sylvain grabbed one of the papers strewn about his desk and of course of all the boring requests, he picked the letter he was drafting the night prior.

“Sylvain, I implore you,” Dimitri began, restraining himself from forcing them out of his old friend’s hands once he saw Sylvain’s eyes quickly begin to skim over the sheet. “If you continue to refuse compliance, I hope you realize that as the King of Faerghus I do, in fact, have the power to  _ incarcerate you _ .”

Sylvain blinked, eyes tearing off the letter, “...You should, uh, send this.”

Stunned, Dimitri dropped his shoulders and the two merely stared at each other for a moment. “I, oh, I don’t know, I don’t think he’d have time to bother with some silly words. It’s alright, Sylvain, just take an early night—” Once again, Sylvain had interrupted his words and Dimitri was beginning to realize that he’d been doing that a lot today.

“Dimitri, if you don’t send this now, you might lose him forever. You never know until you try, you know?” His friend mumbled, gently setting the wolf plush and the letter back onto his desk. The sound of his voice suddenly growing into a near whisper had struck something within Dimitri and he gulped, nodding to assure him he understood, “...I see.”

He looked up to see Sylvain gaze at the letter with a strange smile, one almost mournful, until it disappeared beneath his trademark grin, as always. Dimitri had seen him switch from genuinity to insincerity so many times that he lost count.

The last thing he remembers that night was a supportive pat on his back from the head of the Gautier House and an express messenger carrying a certain wolf plush and letter down South.

—

“Dimitri, you're leaving tomorrow morning for Garreg Mach, aren’t you?” Dedue asked, his eyes gazing deep into a pot of stew. A small smile graced Dimitri’s face at his friend’s use of his name in favor of another fickle title. He nodded solemnly, awaiting any sort of reprimand from his friends, but he supposed that it was foolish of him to expect such things from Dedue and Mercedes. 

Beside him, Mercedes giggled and wiped her hands off on her apron, “I was wondering when you’d make the trip! Annie and I were considering betting gold on it, now that you mention it.” Dimitri was thankful he hadn’t heard this during dinner later that evening for fear of him choking out of surprise.

“Betting gold? Ah, Mercedes, you can’t really mean that!” Even though Dedue was turned away, focused with the main dish, Dimitri heard a soft chuckle that he couldn’t mistake for anyone else. Dimitri picked up another apple and held the knife against its red skin, peeling carefully.

Dimitri cleared his throat, suddenly remembering why he’d asked to join in the first place. Now that Dimitri had been crowned King and his friends had their own noble titles to contend to, the last thing on their mind was whether or not they’d be able to eat a decent meal that night, something they found themselves struggling with during the war. However, the occasional nights that they huddled in the kitchens spurred fond memories and allowed an excuse to rid themselves of duties in favor of seeing familiar faces.

“Erm, about that...I was thinking of visiting the greenhouse once I arrive in Garreg Mach. I can only hope the knights tended to the flowers while we’re away, though I doubt the professor would let any of the plants go uncared for,” Dimitri began, too ashamed to come right out and ask what he was truly attempting to get at. 

“Anyway, the flowers! I was wondering...if any violet ones were blooming around this time of year?” Dimitri gulped, setting aside the skinned apple and reaching back into the fruit basket to repeat the task. 

A silence held heavy over the trio until Dedue spoke up, “This season favors lavender and lilac. Though, there are quite a few blue varieties as well if you had a bouquet arrangement in mind.” Dimitri’s hands paused and he nearly had to set down the knife in case he almost nicked himself in the midst of his confusion. Mercedes giggled like it was an inside joke and though Dimitri felt like an outsider in it, he knew well of what they were laughing at.

He should’ve expected that word travel quickly amongst his friends especially. He knew that he hadn’t done a very smooth job of hiding his attraction for Yuri when they were still boys at the academy, considering they spent many a waking moment together and even managed to steal a few nights as well. Gazing up at the stars and sharing jokes through a whisper...Those were some of Dimitri’s favorite memories.

A laugh ripped out of Dimitri’s throat and he nodded, “Hm, I suppose I do have another sort of arrangement in mind.”

No words were shared but a knowing silence settled amongst them, the air filled with the comfortable scents of pepper and bay leaves. Although the velvet box was sitting idle in the drawer of his desk and nowhere nearby, Dimitri suddenly felt anxious.

As Dimitri finished skinning his final apple, Mercedes turned to him with a smile so mischievous that it took him back for a moment, “Make sure to tell me who says it first, Dimitri! There’s gold on the line!”

—

There was an anxious hammering at Dimitri’s chest as his eye carefully observed each flower before him. The vivid violets and brilliant blues...Dedue was not mistaken on that front. Though his hands grasped around a thick bunch of blossoms already, he couldn’t help but wonder if they were unsatisfactory. Were they too many? Too little? He was aware of his tendency to doubt himself but he couldn’t help but attempt to offer his very best when it comes to—

"Funny seeing you here of all people. Say, what has you searching for flowers at such a late part of the evening? I thought our visit wasn’t scheduled until midday tomorrow?" 

A grunt gets caught in Dimitri’s throat as he suddenly stiffens, his shoulders jutting out of the comfortable slouch he’s developed over the years. Startled and forced onto his guard, Dimitri turns with widened eyes.  _ It cannot be… _

And, Goddess above, of course it was. Yuri Leclerc. Dimitri’s grip tightens around the fresh stems, threatening to crush them as he meets Yuri’s eyes, as sly as they had ever been back in the monastery.

"Oh come on, friend, you couldn't have chosen a different idea? I guess you're planning on courting someone as well. I must say, King Dimitri, with all due respect of course — it's not nice to steal other's ideas. Rather sneaky, in fact."

Once again, Dimitri has found his words caught in his throat. A funny position to be in as a King, and one that his friends might have teased him for. He stood with a flushed face, nervous and unprepared, unsure of what to say. His brain had gone silent, funny how it felt as if it were running a mile a minute just a few minutes ago when he was unaware of Yuri’s presence.

Yuri takes a step forward. "Those flowers are pretty, aren't they? Who's the special someone you're giving those to?"

The Dimitri back in the monastery, once a timid boy who cowered to any sign of affection, would have probably taken another step back to compensate. However, that owl eyed boy had grown into a King. A King who took a step forward, gulped down all his doubts for just a moment, and feigned confidence that he hoped Yuri took notice of.

"You."

Dimitri definitely did not miss the slight widen to Yuri’s always poised eyes which returned in a split second, always waiting for the next moment that someone would sneak right under his nose and gain the upperhand. It saddened Dimitri, how such a beautiful soul had to deal with so much darkness and bloodshed. Although, he supposed that one could say that such a thing is nearly hypocritical, coming from Dimitri.

"Really? For me? While I'm not surprised that you're courting _me_ of all people, I have to say I'm rather shocked that _you,_ of all people, are courting _me_.." Yuri’s cheeks flush a light twinge of pink and Dimitri wonders if it was merely his mind conjuring up another mirage for he quickly glances away, his own face suddenly burning up from his words. Though, it did close to nothing to prepare for Yuri’s next words.

"Because  _ I  _ was going to court  _ you _ .”

There was a lurch in his chest, as if his heart tried tearing from his body, and Dimitri was genuinely worried for a moment. Was it possible that Yuri loved him back? Shared the same feeling of longing all this time? Such tender emotions for a  _ beast _ like him?

The King, in a desperate attempt to soothe the thunderous thoughts in his mind, suddenly shot the crudely arranged bouquet toward Yuri. He swore that the temperature rose in the greenhouse at that moment and his clothes were beginning to feel tight, his skin sweaty, his face burning. He couldn’t handle it anymore, he was going to implode if he did not say it.

“I’m in love with you,” the pair aired at the same time.

Dimitri met Yuri’s eyes in shock and for the first time in years, he saw his beloved’s jaw go slack and eyes bug wide. He stifled a chuckle at how adorably cartoonish his expressions can resemble, especially such a man such as him with a smile so captivating, yet calculating.

The blush that spread across Yuri’s cheeks were unmistakable as he avoided Dimitri’s gaze, uncharacteristically accepting the bouquet of flowers. He gulped, chin dropping to the King, "Hey..This was supposed to be for you, not me.  _ I  _ was supposed to be the one spoiling  _ you. _ "

Dimitri chewed on the inside of his mouth and blinked, wondering if he was dreaming. The man standing before him, who he’d admired from afar for so long, sharing his feelings? He wondered if their memories still rang in Yuri’s head during the darkest nights like they had for him, full of dazzling stars and warm tea, binding only the pair in those lost segments of time like a promise.

Lost in the abyss of his mind, Dimitri was thrown back into the present when he found his fingers gripping Yuri’s smooth wrist like a vice. Yuri blinks, confused, and when he meets Dimitri’s eyes, he finds himself spilling out all the thoughts and emotions he’d hidden for so long within him.

“I hadn’t realized it at first, but it’s obvious to me now. This might be foolish but...please accept this ring, as I wish to wed you in the near future.” Previously, Dimitri felt so inconceivably anxious for this moment. It crawled into his skin during the journey back to the monastery and the voices screamed louder, but now...Everything felt like it’s been flipped onto his head. Without realizing it, a toothy grin curled onto Dimitri’s face. 

A dazzling silver band encased within velvet, the Blaidydd crest engraved into it like a reminder. An intimate little thing that Dimitri initially found himself disliking in the past, but his mind shifted upon the day of his coronation. It wasn’t some sick sign of the blood coursing through his veins, the same crimson that dripped from his father’s body on the day of the flames. No, it was an assurance to a partnership to those that the Blaidydd’s presented it to. 

For a minute, Dimitri is convinced that Yuri will reject him. He’d stroll past the glass doors and forget it all happened, the flowers tossed over his shoulder like rubble. But when he extends his hand to Dimitri, his heart stops and the world seems to slow as he slides it onto Yuri’s finger.

“I guess it’s only fair you accept my courting as well,” Yuri jokes and a hearty laugh finally leaves the King, a tsunami of joy washing over him. The anxiety slips away for a brief second as he sweeps Yuri off his feet, arms clutching his back and his thighs to press him to his chest.

The wind had been knocked out of Yuri as he yelps, finally relaxing into the King’s strong grip. He had nearly dropped his bouquet but he held it close as Dimitri spun him around, their grins growing wide and matching, as if mirroring the silver bands on their fingers.

—

Dimitri, a bit ashamed of his boyish bout of silliness, sets Yuri down onto the concrete who sighs, “You’re insatiable.”

He runs his hands through his lilac locks in an attempt to tame the wild curls that Dimitri had set in during their spins, but Dimitri didn’t see a difference. He was still stunningly handsome either way, but he kept that thought to himself. He couldn’t dump all of his longings onto his beloved in one day, could he?

“You sound like Felix,” Dimitri states, matter of fact, to which Yuri snorts. Dimitri watches him lift the bouquet up to his nose and take a deep whiff of it, a small smile curving onto his face. “Would it be odd to say he’s rubbing off on me, even if I haven’t spoken to him in ages?”

Dimitri smiles too, eyes crinkling at the edge as he steps forward to engulf his beloved in a tight embrace. Yuri didn’t miss a beat and stepped forward to meet him halfway, wrapping his arms around Dimitri’s bulky figure.

The sky around them cast the greenhouse in warm shades of a murky blue, the promise of a deep violet slowly bleeding into it and melding into one. Dimitri looked up to see a sea of opaque stars in the sky and he was hit with countless memories of star gazing, but it stopped short when he noticed a silver strip of light in the sky soar, what he recognized to be a shooting star.

His beloved’s arms holding him gently kept him warm even though the night breeze slid across his skin like ice, and he dropped his gaze to settle on the dazzling band curling around his finger. He shut his eyes and dug his nose into Yuri’s neck, satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part two babey...written by @cloutier__ on twitter!


	3. Dawn of a New Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underground Lord and Savior King paired ending

_After Dimitri had ascended the throne, Yuri had returned to Abyss - tending to his own duties. Years had passed before they reunited once again, and after the promise of courting the two were unable to separate themselves from the other. After they had wed, the two spent little time apart - coming together to better Fodlan. Those who occupied Abyss could finally return to the surface without prosecution, and when all was said and done - the two led Fodlan side by side. Their love was unparalleled, and as Dimitri lay weak on his deathbed, drawing his last breath- Yuri held him, singing to him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yuri was written by @sylvhardt and dimitri @cloutier__ ;) hope you liked!! leave comments and kudos pls

**Author's Note:**

> @sylvhardt and @cloutier__  
> please leave a kudos or comment so i know you enjoyed it :D


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